The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient proof of actual herbicide exposure. The Veteran's multiple myeloma and other disabilities are being reviewed again, with a request for an addendum opinion from the January 2018 VA examiner regarding the relationship between his lumbar spine disability and treatment for multiple myeloma.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient proof of actual herbicide exposure to support the Veteran's claims. The remand requests additional medical opinions to clarify the etiology of the Veteran's disabilities, particularly those related to his multiple myeloma and lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- multiple myeloma, mycobacterium-avium complex, hypothyroidism, diverticulitis, atrial fibrillation, lumbar spine disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21027531
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21027531.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a colon condition, including as caused by herbicide agent exposure or secondary to his service-connected disabilities, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection on any basis.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 100 percent for service-connected multiple myeloma has been denied. The Board also remanded two issues related to nerve neuropathies, and the claims for TDIU and SMC have been denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
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